He Was A Boy
by Merula
Summary: Songfic. AU, OOC. Silly & cliche. A 1x2 get together fic.


Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and Sk8ter Boi are not mine. Obviously. Sk8ter Boi is A. Lavigne's.

I'm sure this has been done to death, but the stupid plotbunny would not leave me alone!

Eventual 1x2- don't like the pairing? Don't read!

Thanks!

NEW: Thanks to FFnet, song lyrics have been removed as per their request.

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"There she is." Heero sighed as he shoved his books in his locker, nearly dislodging the skateboard he had wedged in there. I looked over my shoulder to see the object of his crush moving down the hallway.

Relena Darlian. New girl at school, already popular, or well on her way to it, judging by the crowd around her already.

Not that it surprised me. She was pretty enough, I supposed, though if Heero was into blonds I thought Dorothy Catalonia was a better choice. She was a blonde with a brain- not to mention a sense of humor. Relena looked a bit snotty- but that might just've been the tilt of her nose.

"What do you think?"

"I doubt she could pull a 180."

"I wasn't planning on asking her."

"She looks like she listens to boy bands."

"So?"

"Which means you have exactly what in common with her?"

"We're in the same History class."

"There's a basis for a relationship." I muttered.

"What?"

"Never mind. I'm going to be late for class. See ya after school."

I took off down the hallway, books in hand. Our history teacher had a wicked sense of humor. Being late to her class could mean anything from having to sing a song to having to dramatically act out what had stopped us from being on time to her class. I enjoyed it when it wasn't me.

The bell rang just as I slid in the door. However being on time in Mrs. Garcia's class meant being in your seat- not the doorway. She turned and eyed me with a hint of amusement as I made for my seat.

"You're late Mr. Maxwell."

"I was checking out a girl for a friend." Honesty, always the best policy.

She shook her head, grinning, and turned back to the board.

Wufei turned around in his seat and raised his eyebrow at me. _'What was she like?_' was his question. He knew who I had been checking out and why. Heero had fallen hard and all of his friends knew it.

I put my nose in the air and sniffed. _'Snotty'_.

He gave me a knowing smile and turned back around.

Fei knew about my- preferences. He was the only one of my friends who did. He knew that I would be prejudiced in my assessment of Heero's crush.

Since I had a crush on Heero.

Not like he'd ever know. I had no desire to get the crap beaten out of me.

I sighed and began copying the notes of the board.

I met the guys at the skate park after school. Heero and Quatre had beaten me there, Heero already in raptures over how Relena had borrowed a pencil from him or something.

In all honesty, I wasn't really listening. I was his friend and I really liked him, but listening to him talk like this was just stupid. I wanted to just take my bike down and around the curves and forget that girl even existed.

The other guys had their boards, but I preferred my bike. Luckily we were really the only ones at the park this time of day, so I wouldn't have other boarders yelling at me for using the skate park for my bike. I wanted to move, not be stuck here listening to Heero rhapsodize about this girl.

But Heero was my friend and he'd never fallen this hard for anyone before. He'd listen to me, so I stayed and listened to him. I let Quatre do the talking though.

"So are you going to ask her out?" Quatre asked.

"I don't know how to do that," Heero looked at his shoes. "I'm not like you or Duo…"

Quatre and I looked at each other over the top of Heero's head. Like us? Like us how?

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Well, good with girls. You guys talk to them all the time… I never know what to say…"

"Heero, they aren't a separate species," Quatre grinned. "Just talk to her like you do us. It will be fine."

Trowa arrived then, which gave us an excuse to end the conversation.

The next day I passed Relena in the hallway. I took a long look at her, easier without Heero watching my face for a reaction.

She really was pretty. She was talking to Dorothy and some other girls about her ballet lessons.

Ballet lessons? I tried to picture Heero doing that and nearly died laughing. I managed to choke it down to a chortle, but the group of girls gave me an odd look.

"Morning Duo," Dorothy purred at me.

"Good morning," I flipped her a salute and moved down the hallway.

"Dorothy! Why are you talking to that punk?" I heard one of the other girls hiss.

"Duo? He's a cutie." Doro laughed. "You're just jealous that he didn't look at you."

"But Dorothy, he hangs out with all those skater guys…"

Their voices faded out of range. Well, this didn't look good for Heero… but then I hadn't heard Relena express an opinion.

Heero slid into the seat across from me. Usually he sat next to me, but Relena was over at a table to the side and he had a better view from that seat. I suppressed a sigh.

"So, you had history class already," I decided to seize the bull by the horns. "Did you ask her out?"

"No," Heero flushed and looked down at his tray.

"Well, we're seniors, we've got four months of school left- I'd start thinking about doing it soon." I teased. Heero's flush deepened.

"Duo-"

"Sorry." That had been low of me. "Just go talk to her. She'd be an idiot to turn you down."

"Maybe later," he picked up his fork and started eating.

I suppressed another sigh and glanced to the left.

Relena was staring at us.

Or rather Heero.

I caught her gaze and raised an eyebrow. She flushed and looked down at her tray.

Ah hah. So she liked him.

Good. Then Heero had a chance. In all the years that I had known him Heero had never gotten like this over a girl. At least he wouldn't be shot down when he did ask her out.

If he would just get around to the asking part.

"You know, there's a dance next week. Why don't you ask her to that?"

"Do you think she'd want to go?" He looked hopeful.

"Trust me," I grinned, "she'll want to go. The girls love those things."

Well, most of the girls of Relena's type did anyway.

"Okay."

"Great. So, go ask her."

Heero turned slightly pale. "Not now. I'll ask her later."

"As long as later is later today and not after the dance." I pushed. He nodded and I let it rest. I had done my best friend part.

I was hanging out in the garage idly playing around with my guitar. It was the only place my mom let me play with it. Wufei was out with his girlfriend; Quatre and Trowa were doing one of their college studying nights- I wondered about those things sometimes- why always on Friday nights? Could they… nah.

Usually Heero came over, but I wasn't expecting him tonight. He had walked by me on the way out of our last class, muttering something about asking Relena out.

I was pretty sure she'd say yes. I still wasn't sure what the hell they had in common, but how important was that really? He wanted her, she wanted him, they'd find something to do.

There was a knock on the side door and I called out a greeting. I thought it would be my little sister, but it wasn't Hilde who slid in, but Heero.

He looked awful. What was going on?

"Hey! Didn't expect to see you…"

"She said no." His voice was soft.

"What?"

"She said no. And she laughed. Said she'd never go out with someone like me." She'd laughed at him? That bitch! What the hell for?

"Someone like you? What the hell does that mean?"

Heero shrugged, still looking depressed. I wanted to hug him, but I knew that would completely freak him out, so I put a hand on his shoulder instead.

"Then she's a bitch. What the hell does she know about you anyway?"

Heero didn't answer. He just sat, staring at his feet. I nudged him with an elbow.

"C'mon. Stop it. I know what you're doing. Just because she said something you're thinking it's true. It's not. You're a great guy and if she doesn't see that, it's her loss."

I couldn't figure it out though. Why had she turned him down?

"Yeah, whatever. Feel like playing?" Heero reached for the guitar and I gave it to him. He was better on it anyway. Usually he played and I sang. If that's what he wanted to do tonight instead of talking it all out, that's what we'd do.

He played and I sang for him. I always did, though I was sure he didn't know it. I could only hope that the music made him forget about Relena for a while.

On Monday I hunted Doro up to find out what the hell had happened. I found her alone at her locker, a stroke of luck.

"Relena cares too much about what people say," Doro told me in response to my question.

"What people?"

"You know, that group she hangs around. Flay, Miri, Nat- those girls. They don't like skaters."

"Why not?"

"Because they're idiots." Doro smiled sweetly. "Appearance counts too much with them."

"But Heero's good looking!"

"He doesn't dress right."

Doesn't dress right?

"That's just stupid. He's an A student- he takes care of his grandpa- he's never gotten into any trouble…"

"I know it. It is stupid." Doro slammed her locker closed. "I can't wait to get out of here. College has got to be better than this." She gave me a small shrug. "Tell Heero he's better off anyway. He'll find someone better."

"I'll try."

"I hope you succeed Duo." Doro's smile turned slightly smirky and I felt my heart rate speed up. Did she know?

Heero was a mess. Not that he got all weepy or anything like that. He just kind of closed up. He still hung out with me on Friday nights, still went to the park with us, but he just didn't talk much.

Not like he ever had before.

I tried to get him to talk about it, but he'd just ignore me, or change the subject, or say that he had something else to do and take off. So I stopped. I didn't want him to stop being my friend over it.

Especially since he decided that he was going to follow me out to the West Coast and go to the same college I was. Our parents were thrilled- we wouldn't be alone out there.

I was happy, but at the same time, kind of not. I had meant to go out west and start living the way I wanted to, not hiding, if you know what I mean?

Not that I couldn't do that anyway. Maybe Heero wouldn't mind.

He'd have to find out sometime.

_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Five Years Later……………._

I listened to our manager go on and on about the video. Apparently it was doing really well.

"Howard," I finally interrupted him. "Go tell Heero or Kira, okay? I have some phone calls to make."

"I thought I made all of those," Howard teased.

"Nah, the concert tomorrow is in our old hometown. Got some friends we want to see there, that's all. I promised them some tickets."

Howard nodded and vanished. I did love the guy, really, but the video thing was Heero's baby, not mine. He had the idea, talked the director into it. He wrote the songs. I just sang them.

He claims that I do more than that, but I don't think that's the case. He's the one that got us our first gigs, the one that found Kira in his music class and convinced him to join us as our drummer; he's the one that negotiated the deal with Howard. I'm just here because he says that he needs me to be.

I picked up the phone and dialed Quatre's number.

"Duo!" He greeted. "How are things?"

"Fine as always. You guys still coming tomorrow? How many tickets do you need?"

"Five." He sounded hesitant and I wondered why.

"You and Trowa, Wufei and Doro, and..?"

"Relena. Remember her? Old friend of Doro's."

Was he kidding? Like I'd forget the girl that crushed Heero's heart- even if it was years ago.

"I remember her."

"She's married, has a kid now, but she wanted to come and see the concert."

I'll just bet she did.

Yeah, jealousy is a bitch, even five years later.

"Sure, no problem. I'll leave them at the box office for you."

"Thanks Duo! We're looking forward to seeing you."

"So, Quatre and the others here?"

Heero was leaning against the wall, waiting for our cue. The opening band had finished, did their usual great job of warming up the audience for us.

"Yeah, I talked to him this morning. They should be front row."

"I'll have to look for them."

"Yeah," I muttered. Heero frowned at me.

"Something wrong Duo?"

"Nah, just usual pre-show nerves, you know me."

"We'll be great."

"I know it."

The lights went down. That was our cue to get into place.

Heero's guitar rang out across the stadium, the slide of notes that started our opening song. The light found him, and I caught my breath as I did every time. Heero was gorgeous, all lit up and bent over his guitar, music swirling out. Kira started the drums a moment later and I waited in the darkness.

I looked towards the front row. Quatre and Trowa, Wufei and Dorothy were there. Relena was there too. Still pretty, but worn looking. I saw how she looked at Heero, the light in her eyes that I had seen back in the cafeteria all those years ago.

The lights hit me and I started my part, letting the song ring out, raising my head and meeting Heero's eyes across the stage.

He smiled at me, flipping his bangs out of his eyes as I sang for him.

Heero's smile was blinding. The same one that he had given me three years ago when he'd asked me if I would ever consider him as more than a friend and I had kissed him in answer.

I then confessed my long time crush and watched him blink with surprise.

"Why didn't you say anything then?"

"I didn't want you to hate me."

"Duo, you're my best friend. You've done so much for me. I wouldn't have hated you."

"Beat me up then."

"Duo," he rolled his eyes at me. "I wouldn't have done that either."

"You would've been freaked out."

"Maybe a little," he admitted and grinned. "But then, you forget how gorgeous you are. I'll bet I would've been flattered."

"Are you now?"

"Now? I'm relieved." He smiled and kissed me again.

The concert ended and we rushed backstage. I felt like I could sleep for days, I always did after a show. Heero was soaking with sweat, Kira simply lay down flat on the concrete floor and closed his eyes.

Heero caught me around the waist and kissed me deeply, our post show ritual that he never forgot.

"Guys?" Quatre's voice. We let go of each other a little bit and turned to see our old friends in the doorway.

Relena was behind Dorothy, her eyes wide.

"The famous rock star couple," Dorothy teased, coming to hug us. "I see the two of you in magazines all the time. It's good to see you in person."

"It's good to see you too." I hugged her back, then hugged the other three, and then shook Relena's hand politely. "Good to see you again too."

"Thanks for the ticket," she said softly.

"You're welcome." I smiled. "I hear you got married? Had a baby?" Her face lit up and she dug in her pocket. A wallet and pictures were produced and I oohed and ahhed appropriately.

Heero joined me, one arm around my waist and admired the pictures too. Relena's face didn't get that look back, and I was glad. Nostalgia was great, but only to a point.

We chatted with them for a while and then they took off, leaving us to go back to the hotel.

Heero stretched out in the back of the limo, head in my lap, scribbling furiously in his notebook.

"New song?" I asked.

"Yeah," he grinned up at me. "Inspired you might say."

"When do I get to see it?"

"Sing it," he corrected. "Soon I think." He handed me the pad and I read it, feeling a smile rise to my lips.


End file.
